Reader Dave Patterson spotted this Associated Press photo used to illustrate a recent Minnesota Public Radio story about the sharp rise of oil prices in 1973 (he was particularly impressed with the lawnmower guy’s plaid pants, as are we), and with a little digging we see that the photo was actually taken in 1974 in San Jose, California. If you can pull your eyes away from those pants, what do you see here?

I catch the nose of an Alfa Spider behind lawnmower man, and up ahead a car or two, a `73 Maverick with the decor group. Ah–an opera window of a Cougar XR-7; I know that one anywhere. Looks like (almost) next at the pumps is a Pinto wagon but unsure of the year as I only see the top of the roof. On the left up ahead is a `66 Ford Country Sedan wagon; if they had a “5 gallon max” limit due to the shortage, he might not make it back home. I wonder if those plaid pants came with a jacket to match? Never mind…perish that thought…

’72 AMC Ambassador, a 69 Eldorado over by the phone booth (neither of which are seen anymore). The real challenge is; what brand of mower is that? It seems kind of silly until you realize that when they were rationing out 5 gallons at a time, a lot of stations wouldn’t allow you to fill up gas cans, so if you wanted to fill your mower you had to bring your mower.

Hi Lar, Now that you mention it… 22″ wheels, chopped, channeled, some flames. Chrome out that handle, MAN, “he be stylin”……Bein’ in SoCal, I’m sure Mr. Foose would love to take a stab at this badboy (Oh, I forgot, in ’74 Chip probably wasn’t born yet)……….;o}

I took a really good look at the van–it’s a Dodge, not a Ford Econoline.
Rear wheelwell is visible through the Maverick LDO 2-door, and it’s flat and low, like a ’60s Dodge van’s. My dad had a ’67 E-line from ’72 to ’74, so I remember it well.

As I posted earlier, when there was ratiioning it was how many gallons were allowed ‘per vehicle’ rather than ‘per customer.’ Gas cans were usually not filled becaus all you had to do was get your five gallons for your car, and then go back and fill the gas can and eventually fill your tank. So the mower had to go to the gas station in many cases.

The real winner here–in my opinion, anyway–is the late 1960s/early 1970s Ford F-100, which even looks to have a hard tonneau. Coming in a close second, white paint notwithstanding, is the Maverick (Comet?). Those plaid pants, though, are beyond horrible.